Chef Manager

Sodexo; Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mental health support access

Employee Assistance Programme

Free health & wellbeing app access

Sodexo Discounts Scheme

Retirement plan

Death in Service

Job summary

Sodexo is seeking a Chef Manager to lead patient dining operations across multiple kitchen environments at Manchester Foundation Trust. You will be responsible for safe, efficient and high‑quality meal production, including specialist dietary requirements, allergen‑controlled dishes and bespoke patient meal plans.

Working with dietitians, ward teams and catering colleagues, you will manage and develop the team, maintain food safety and compliance, oversee stock, and continually improve the

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of catering/food service teams in high‑volume environments.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene and compliance.
• Experience with special diets, allergens and patient meals.

Responsibilities

• Lead catering operations across patient dining services and kitchen environments.
• Manage chefs, supervisors and kitchen porters, driving performance and development.
• Ensure safe production and delivery of meals including special diets and allergen‑controlled dishes.
• Collaborate with dietitians, ward teams and patients to meet nutritional requirements.
• Maintain compliance with food safety, hygiene and health & safety laws and policies.
• Oversee stock control, ordering and inventory management across kitchens.
• Uphold high standards of quality, presentation, cleanliness and service.
• Build relationships with clinical and operational stakeholders to improve dining services.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Communication

Food safety awareness

Education

NVQ Level 2

NVQ Level 3 Food Safety

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Manchester

Working Hours:

40

Location:

Manchester

Closing Date:

19/11/2026

Job Category:

Catering Management

Job Introduction

Job Description

• Job Title: Chef Manager
• Location: Central Manchester Hospital ,Manchester foundation trust
• Any 5 days out of 7 / Various Shift times / 40 hours a week
• Uniform Provided / Access to Blue Light Card / Sodexo Benefits

Job Introduction

Are you a passionate catering professional with strongleadership skills and a commitment to delivering exceptional food services? Weare seeking a Chef Manager to lead our patient dining operations acrossmultiple kitchen environments at Manchester Foundation Trust. In this role, youwill be responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and high-qualityproduction of meals, including specialist dietary requirements,allergen-controlled dishes, and bespoke patient meal plans. Working closelywith dietitians, clinical teams, and catering colleagues, you will play a vitalrole in enhancing the patient experience through outstanding food service. Thisis an exciting opportunity to lead and develop a dedicated team whilemaintaining the highest standards of food safety, compliance, and operationalexcellence.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and coordinate catering operations across the Diet Bay patient dining service and the Yardbird/Kitchenworks kitchens, ensuring efficient daily service delivery.
• Manage and support chefs, supervisors, and kitchen porters, driving team performance, development, and engagement.
• Ensure the safe production and delivery of high-quality meals, including special diets, allergen-controlled meals, texture-modified diets, and bespoke patient meal plans
• Work closely with dietitians, ward teams, and patients to meet individual nutritional and clinical dietary requirements.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health & safety legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee stock control, ordering, and inventory management across both kitchen operations to ensure continuity of service.
• Monitor and maintain high standards of food quality, presentation, cleanliness, and service in line with Trust expectations and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Build effective working relationships with clinical and operational stakeholders to continuously improve patient dining services and operational performance.

What You Bring:

• Proven experience leading catering, hospitality, or food service teams within a high-volume operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, and compliance standards, with the ability to maintain excellent audit outcomes.
• Experience managing special diets, allergen requirements, texture-modified meals, and patient-focused food services.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate, develop, and support diverse teams.
• Effective communication skills and the confidence to build strong working relationships with clinical teams, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with experience overseeing stock control, ordering, and resource management.
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach, with a commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Relevant catering qualifications, including NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) and Level 3 Food Safety, with NHS or healthcare experience desirable.

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it's a chancetobe part of something greater. You'll belong in a company and team that values youforyou;you'll act with purpose and have an impact through your everydayactions; and you'll be able to thrive in your own way . In addition, we also offer a range of resources,rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement .
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services .
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools .
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities .
• Flexible and dynamic work environment
• Competitive compensation
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every dayfor everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services thatimprove the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food andFM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services .

We are committed tobeingan inclusive employer. Weare a forces friendly employer . We welcome and encourage applications from peoplewith a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities . We encourage our employees to get involved with ourEmployee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, SodexoDisability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We're a Disability Confident Leader employer. We're committed tochingting attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have thechance to fulfil their aspirations . We run a DisabilityConfident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet theminimum selection criteria for the job .

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together,Generations and Origins.